Ana Rita Pereira da Cruz

Ana Rita Pereira da Cruz is a Professor at Lusofona University's School of Psychology and Life Sciences, Faculty of Psychology and Education. She is affiliated with the HEI-Lab - Digital Laboratories of Environments and Human Interactions and maintains an active research profile with an h-index of 223 based on publications in Pure and Scopus citations.

Her primary research interests include neuropsychological assessment, executive functions, crime, aggression and violence, and adverse childhood experiences. Dr. Cruz's work spans multiple areas within psychology, particularly focusing on justice-involved populations, psychopathy, psychometrics, and intervention programs. Her research fingerprint shows strong connections to Intimate Partner Violence (100%), Psychopathy (66%), Psychometrics (35%), Intervention Programs (25%), and Justice (24%).

Analysis of her recent publications reveals a consistent focus on criminal behavior, justice systems, and psychological assessment. Her work often examines the relationship between childhood experiences and later behavioral outcomes, with particular attention to incarcerated populations and gender-specific justice issues. She employs diverse methodologies including self-report questionnaires, mixed methods approaches, and exploratory factor analysis.

• Best Poster Award XII SNIP (May 2025)

Dr. Cruz is actively involved in supervising doctoral theses, as evidenced by her role as an examiner for a doctoral thesis in Applied Psychology in January 2025. She is also a participant in the COST Action IMPLEMENTEZ and regularly presents her research, including the presentation 'Aging in Prison: The Needs of Older People Involved with the Justice System' in May 2025.

Her current research includes the TIK-PT project (2025), which focuses on promoting parental and children mental health through emotion-focused parenting programs, specifically adapting and implementing the Tuning in to Kids® program in Portugal. This project demonstrates her commitment to translating research into practical interventions that address mental health needs in vulnerable populations.